Friday, December 31, 2010

A long time ago, I stopped making new year's resolutions, and I encourage you to do the same.

They always start out with good intention - we think of all our bad habits, all our flaws, all the things we'd like to change about ourselves. We pledge that in the new year, we'll be better. We'll improve our health, our financial situation, our appearance. We'll be better friends, better parents, better children, better people. We'll quit smoking, we'll lose weight, we'll save money, and we'll help someone in need.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

What is it about a particular date that makes it hold so much meaning for us? Whether it's a birthday, a holiday or an anniversary, there's something about looking at the calendar and knowing that on this day in history, something happened. Whatever it was - a joyous or solemn occasion - the date will never be the same again. Year after year, we honor the day with the people, the plans, and the memories that mean so much to us. Some days are universal; others are so personal that no one else will ever fully understand. The day before doesn't matter; the day after is back to normal. But the day is always special.

I know, it's been waaaaay too long since I've posted. I'm sorry for that, but as I'm sure I'll be posting about soon, I've been kinda messed up lately. I already told you about my blogging injury a few weeks ago (only I could do something like that, right?). It took a while to heal from that, and for the past week or so I've been really sick too. As much as I really wanted to post something here every day, I just really haven't had the energy to do so lately. (Then again, I guess I did kinda let you know that from the start, so I'm hoping this let's me off the hook a little and you'll forgive me!) Wow - I just realized how many times I said "really" in that paragraph. Hey, at least it wasn't "um"!

Anyway, I'm planning to write more over the next few days - maybe even finish the piece I was working on before I got hurt (it was really going to be a good one!). In the mean time, I got really excited about something, but it sorta backfired.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Are you mixed up & backwards? Are there things you do that lead people to look at you and respond “only you”? I know I’m like that!As I set up my menorah a week after the last night of Hanukkah (while decorating my tree - getting out of the holiday purple), a few other idiosyncrasies of me came to my mind. So … just for fun, here’s a list of things I do (intentionally or not) that lead people to look at me and say “only you”:

Sunday, December 12, 2010

About a week ago, I was wearing a red sweater. It didn’t have snowflakes or Santa on it, or even a fuzzy white trim around the edges. It was just a red sweater that I’ve had for a while, and decided to wear that day. Still, the response I got was “wow, you’re really getting into the holiday spirit early!” Not really, I was just wearing a red sweater.

The other day, I was talking with someone who said he had the holiday blues. He’s not alone in that; I know quite a few people who tend to get the blues around this time of year. As television shows celebrate family moments and holiday cheer, many are reminded of what they have lost: jobs, relationships, even family members. There may be happy memories of holidays past, but many get blue when thinking of the sad present or questionable future.

So … if red is the embodiment of the holiday spirit, and blueis the sadness waiting for the season to be over with, I guess you could say I’ve got the holiday purple.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

I've always believed that things happen for a reason. We don't always know what that reason is, and it may not present itself for quite some time. Because of that, we have a tendency to focus on the crummy situation we're currently dealing with rather than the potentially great thing that could come out of it. As I sit in pain feeling like the spaz that I often am, I was reminded of that potential silver lining ... actually, I was reminded by one of the great things that came out of an earlier excursion into the world of spazticity.

Let's start with the current situation. I understand how peole get sports injuries, work injuries, or get hurt from trips, falls, or accidents. Any physical activity, really, has the potential for physical injury. I'm special, though: I get hurt doing absolutely nothing.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

No matter how great our aspirations, no matter how successful we may become in life, we all come from humble beginnings. We may wish to forget those days, but our past is a part of who we are today. And if we try to hide it, sooner or later it will come out. And when it does, people will laugh. Now, laughter is a good thing, but only we can determine whether they will be laughing at us or laughing with us.

Maybe those embarrassing moments came from the awful hairstyles and clothes we wore 10 or 20 years ago. Thanks to facebook, we just know those pictures will be coming out soon (we've probably posted some of those pics ourselves, after reconnecting with old friends). Perhaps it's the stories about our childhood crushes and the silly things we did to win their hearts. It could be that clumsy moment when we tripped in front of the whole class, or messed up our lines in the school play. For me, it was a job I had when I was in high school.

Meet the Buttahfly

About Kerry

​I'm a glass-half-full kind of girl. More than that, really - I'm the girl who'll point out that if it's not full, you don't have to worry about spilling your drink every time you pick it up!

I am extremely fortunate to be married to my best friend - the boy next door I had a crush on since I was a child. Though we've been married nearly 17 years, people who meet us still think we’re newlyweds … and in a way, we still are! Through thick and thin, sickness and health, he has been my rock, my anchor, my greatest source of strength and support.

Over the past few years, I've been diagnosed with a number of chronic, autoimmune, and invisible illnesses (see What’s Wrong for the details). Still, I do the best I can to stay positive: this blog is my way of showing those with similar experiences that they are not alone. We may not be able to beat (cure) our diseases, but we can make sure they don’t break our spirits. At the same time, I’m hoping to educate our friends and family – those who want to be there for us, but don’t really understand the extent of our illnesses and how severely they affect us. With a little help, we can get through anything … together.

It's my mission to make a difference in people's lives, and I encourage everyone to do that in whatever way possible. A positive word, a helping hand, a donation (of time or money) to a worthy cause, even a simple but genuine smile can mean the world to someone ... and that someone could be you!

🎶We're Jinglin', Baby!

On December 9, I'll be jingling my bells at the Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell Run. Join us if you're in the area ... or support our efforts with a donation. Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated!

The Mighty

I've recently had a number of stories published on The Mighty, an online magazine of sorts for people with chronic illness. View my author page (and published pieces) here.

2017 WEGO Health Awards: Patient Leader Hero (Nominee)

“Sometimes the connections we make in online communities go above and beyond, truly changing our lives for the better.” This award recognizes those Patient Leaders “whose content has opened your eyes to seeing things differently … whose dedication has ignited the advocate within you to make a change … whose work has effected change for their community members. This Patient Leader's influence truly has the impact to make a difference. They're nothing short of a hero.” I am truly honored to be nominated.

I Did It!

Every day in April 2014, WEGO Health provided a prompt, and my posts here reflect my responses to those ideas, in terms of living with chronic illness(es). It was a great experience that inspired me to write more, enabled me to “meet” other bloggers and friends, and empowered us all to share our experiences in a unique and creative way.